The village of Malmantile close to Florence recreates a medieval scene every year around this time. Zaira spent a lovely day this weekend watching the parade.
Recent Posts
Tuscany
Zaira’s 5 favourite dishes in Tuscany
Bistecca alla Fiorentina by McPig
Pici con le briciole – a thick spaghetti like homemade pasta with a sauce made of stale bread crumbs and slightly cooked in virgin olive oil, garlic and red hot chilli.
Ravioli mugellan – ravioli filled with potatoes seasoned with garlic, parsley, tomato paste and served with a duck sauce or butter and sage.
Bistecca alla fiorentina – best loved dish by Tuscan people, a large T-bone steak grilled over very hot coals, seasoned with salt and black pepper, not to be overcooked.
Fagioli all’uccellett – sausages cooked in a tomato sauce with white beans.
Zuccotto – a typical Florentine dessert made out of a sponge and flavoured with cream, chocolate and a hint of liquer, served very cold.
Ten eclectic things to do in Tuscany this August
Tuscany in August offers a host of cultural, gastronomic and family events to satisfy just about any tastes. So if you're in the area next month, and you're determined to have at least one day where you don't lounge by the pool, bake on a beach or trek through the countryside, here's a selection of the well-known, the less-well known, and the downright quirky events you can enjoy this month.
Tuscan Sun Festival 31st July - 7th August - Cortona (Arezzo)
World-famous festival featuring classical, culinary, wine and spoken word events. Highlights this year include legendary pianist Martha Argerich in a night devoted to Argentina and the tango in particular. Hollywood stars Sharon Stone and Jeremy Irons will perform a dramatisation of the romance between Chopin and George Sand later in the festival. See website for full details.Further information.
Porcini Mushroom festival 5th-7th August - Cascine di Buti (Pisa)
One of the most well-loved ‘Italian’ ingredients is celebrated in this small festival dedicated to the not-so-humble porcini. Further information.
FestAmbiente Ecological Festival - 6th-15th August Rispescia (Grosseto)
Open air shows, concerts, films and workshops dedicated to the Environment and Green issues.
Further information.
Truffle Festival - 12th - 15th August - Chiusi della Verna (Arezzo)
A sagre dedicated to the scorzone truffle, widely available throughout Tuscany, and celebrated for its variety of culinary uses. Further information.
Zappa Day - 12th August - Sarteano (Siena)
An unusual one this, the saxophonist Napoleon Murphy Brock will be performing his unique (and Grammy-award winning) tribute to the legendary Frank Zappa. Further information.
Palio dell'Assunta 13th- 16th August - Siena
No roundup of events in Tuscany can escape without mentioning this world-famous horse race around the Campo Square. Very busy, and very popular, the race itself (on the 16th) is best experienced either on television (sadly) or by arriving very early in the day. The preparations and pre-race trials are well worth a visit though, and are much less busy. Further information.
Bank Holiday 15th August - all of Italy
Expect the beaches and picnic spots to be extra busy. One to be contrary and do nothing - stay by the pool in the villa, or try something off the beaten track. The last of the sunflowers will be fading in the fields....
Madama Butterfly - part of the Puccini festival - 18th August - Torre del Lago (Lucca)
The Puccini festival is a yearly event in Lucca, attracting world-class opera stars to celebrate and perform the works of Giacomo Puccini. This year’s operas are La Boheme, Turandot and Madama Butterfly. Further information.
Rievocazione Medievale Volterra AD 1398 - 21st and 28th August - Volterra (west of San Gimignano - near Pisa)
Bringing the magic of the middle ages to life, with a pageant of medieval themed processions, music, food and celebrations. Further information.
Bravio delle Botti - 28th August - Montepulciano (about an hour’s drive South of Siena)
An annual festival featuring a barrel-rolling race between the 8 quarters of Montepulciano. Each team must roll an 85kg wine barrel across the narrow streets of this pretty and historic city. Further information.
And number 11 - start planning for next year
If you're not fortunate enough to be in Tuscany this August (or you're already dreaming of coming back) - why not book for next year? Have a look at our selection of Tuscan villas, apartments and hotels.
Wild boar
Malcolm writes: just spent a few days in Tuscany at Villa La Senaia with my son Ollie, and in-laws Alf and Edith. The weather was perfect for our stay, and the views out over Castiglion Fiorentino from the terrace and pool are fabulous, so we didn’t feel the urge to leave the villa all day. Our visit however, coincided with the Wild Boar Festival (Sagra di cinghiale) in Castiglion Fiorentino, which is only a short drive from Villa La Senaia. Our relutance to leave the poolside was rewarded with a number of delicious dishes, so it was well worth the effort.
The villa’s location is ideal for exploring southern Tuscany – with Cortona and Arezzo just a short drive away – and if you want to venture a bit further Siena, Montepulciano and Lake Trasimeno in Umbria are all worth a day trip.
5 Top Things to do with Children in Tuscany
Sometimes the Renaissance treasures that pepper Italy can lack appeal for the smaller members of your party. Here are some suggestions for how to best entertain those juniors.
Climbing towers
There are countless opportunities to climb the heights of a bell tower or church. The best of the bunch is Brunelleschi’s Dome in Florence. It will ensure some tired legs and some dizzy heads. Torre Giunigi in Lucca has the reward of a tree to sit under at the top.
Ice Cream
Italy is the home of Ice Cream. The best in Florence is Vivoli, set in the backstreets near to Piazza Santa Croce. Best ever eaten by us at Essential Italy is Mondo Gelato in Castiglion Fiorentino (near Cortona).
Exploring
Get them out of the car and head down some dirt tracks. Invariably they will lead to some great views and you can talk them through olive oil, vines and sunflowers.
Picnic
Fill your backpack with bread, salami, cheese, pop and wine (for you) and find a tree to sit under. It is a recipe for those classic family pictures.
Running
Recreate the Giostra del Saracino (see picture above) on foot in Arezzo: see who can race from one side of the Piazza Grande in the quickest time. The real Giostra is carried out on horse back with a large lance, but we suggest you leave that at home. The slope on the Piazza makes this all the harder (especially if you go from lower end to the upper end). On your marks, get set, GO!
Essential Italy out and about in Tuscany
Zaria, Elena and Sarah outside Borgo Elena
Helen writes: Last week Sarah and I headed out to Tuscany to meet with Zaria who has started work with Essential Italy to assist with all things Tuscan. She has a wealth of knowledge and experience in Tuscany having worked there for many years. We are delighted she has joined us and are really looking forward to the coming season. It was lovely to catch up with owners and also to once more enjoy a visit to this beautiful region of Italy. It was glorious weather for the week, the temperature was cool, but the sun was out and the mist in the valleys in the morning was breathtaking.
Our first port of call was a lovely newly refurbished house in Pergo close to Cortona, a pretty two bedroom house surrounded by olive trees and a small vineyard called Casa Lavanda. We moved from there to the popular Borgo Elena; a small group of apartments close to Cortona and makes a great base for families and couples alike looking to explore this stunning area of Tuscany.
Borgo Elena
From Borgo Elena we moved on to Ai Cedri and met the caretaker Marsia. You’d never know it from her Italian, but Marsia is originally from Preston. She knows the Cortona area like the back of her hand. And there’s a 10% off all bookings made before 31st January at AI Cedri. Only a few weeks available now so move quickly.
Ai Cedri
From Ai Cedri we moved on to Casa Lorenzo. This was our lunch stop, and although I should remember that a lunch invite in Tuscany isn’t one to be hurried, I’m never quite prepared for what’s surely to be presented. Lorenzo’s mother was stoking the outside oven as we arrived and piling chickens on the coals. Casa Lorenzo was looking good with some new additions to the garden including a swing for children and a covered table tennis area. Lunch was delicious, with fresh salad from the orta (allotment) along with chicken fresh off the coals.
One would think that chicken for lunch would be enough, but oh no, the chicken was swiftly followed by some fantastic local steak which simply melted in the mouth. Pudding was chocolate heaven. We had fun meeting Lorenzo’s newly extended family. His youngest daughter Alice, is just one year old, and as you can see from the picture, she’s able to hold her glass of Processo quite proficiently...
Casa Lorenzo
And onto Villa La Senaia which is a short drive from Castiglion Fiorentino. The town is really pretty with a selection of great bars, restaurants and shops. La Senaia is a lovely comfortable villa with fabulous views.
From La Senaia onto Poggio dei Mandorli. The notable change to this house was the trees which had always obscured the view have gone. The manicured gardens were looking as lovely as ever and the cottage is just perfect for a couple looking for complete privacy and tranquillity.
As the light was fading we made our last visit of the day to Villa Anna. This fabulous five bedroom villa is in the pretty village of Citerna and is a long term favourite with many of our clients who return year after year. Although not a typical Tuscan house, we love it as it’s a fantastic space for groups of friends and families alike. It now boasts a brand new kitchen which will bring joy to the cooks amongst you.
We then headed back over to Foiano for supper and met up with Ian. We stayed at Casa Ago which was simply delightful. We sat by the log burning stove warming our toes and with the addition of heated mattresses, we had a great nights sleep.
On Wednesday morning we were up bright and early to visit Fabrizio at Villa San Martino, a super villa for large groups (sleeps 10–16) I know this villa well having spent a wonderful family holiday there a few years back and can’t recommend it highly enough.
From San Martino we headed onto Le Terrazze where we received the usual warm welcome from Antonella & Fiorenzo who plied us with red wine and prosciutto. Our final stop was to see Mariella at Santa Lucia which was as lovely as I had remembered. Sarah and I then dropped Zaira off for a well earned rest at Poggibonsi station and headed back to Creti for our final night at Casa Ago.
But before we returned to our respective homes on Thursday evening, we had an exciting meeting in Rome of which there will be news of later. I can confirm it involves more Essential Italy properties in Sicily. Stay tuned...
Flights from London to Florence
CityJet has announced it will be flying between London City and Florence six times a week from January, and have also announced there will be a limited service between now and Christmas to allow passengers a Tuscan break before Christmas.
Christmas in Tuscany
Ai Cedri is a fantastic Tuscan villa with log fire and lovely view, perfect for family or friends over the Christmas period. Includes Christmas welcome hamper with Prosecco, Panettone, plus other festive Tuscan treats. Contact Essential Italy today.
Autumn breaks in Tuscany
Helen writes: As our summer season draws to the end, my thoughts start turning to the olive picking season and the smell of roasting chestnuts filling the air. Here are some of my favourite Autumn Tuscan retreats:
Casetta al Castello. This pretty stone cottage is in the south of Tuscany in beautiful countryside a short drive from Roccastrada. The owner Silverio, will show you where to forage for mushrooms under the cork trees around the house, and you can then prepare a lovely warming mushroom risotto in front of the roaring fire, washed down with a bottle of Brunello.
Nicolo. Ian, Sarah and I spent a lovely few days at this beautiful apartment last November. The view is spectacular. Each evening we returned to the terrace to watch the sun set over the sea, moving ourselves inside to eat supper in front of the blazing fire.
Casa Valentina. This three bedroom house is in the small village of Aquilea – a short drive to the beautiful town of Lucca. The house is cosy and warm. For the hikers amongst you, there are some fantastic walks around the house without the need to get in your car.
Casa Ago. This one bedroom cottage is positioned between Foiano and Cortona. It has a lovely wood burning stove and the owner Anna who lives close by, will throw in a free pasta making course for any couples travelling in October, November and December.
Bucciano. This is a group of apartments is very close to the truffle capital of the world, and October is the time to be there. Miniato is buzzing with truffle hunters and their dogs during the autumn. The truffle markets are a real treat for food and people watching.
Le Terrazze. Always on our list of favourites – come rain, shine or snow – it’s a great starting point to explore the Tuscan towns of Arezzo, Cortona, Montepulciano, Florence and beyond. The owners who live next door will happily share their local knowledge with you.
Ripiano. This house close to Bagni di Lucca is great for a group of family or friends who want to get away from it all and have perhaps one of the best views in the whole of Tuscany. It’s another of our properties I always have to be dragged away from when we visit.
There are more places perfect for experiencing Italy in the autumn, so if you want to discuss an Autumn / Fall break in Italy, do give us a call and we’ll happily assist you in any way we can.